


Oblivious

by Lixel



Category: Legally Blonde - All Media Types, Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: Elle talks to Paulette, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Movie Night, Paulette is not surprised, during the song legally blonde
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21833998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lixel/pseuds/Lixel
Summary: When Elle wanted to leave Bosten, Emmett declared his love.However, he doesn't know she heard him.
Relationships: Emmett Forrest & Elle Woods, Emmett Forrest/Elle Woods
Comments: 26
Kudos: 226
Collections: legally blonde





	1. Meant to smile

**Author's Note:**

> I read every fanfiction in this fandom, it was time to contribute my own.  
> English is not my native language and I am very anxious about any mistakes, so I apologize in advance.

When she arrived back at her dorm room, Emmett waited for her, leaning against the door.  
"There she is! Intern of the year!" He greeted her with a big smile as she turned around the corner. His arms were held high, he was obviously going in for a hug, and he made a few steps towards her.  
When he looked into her face, his smile faded. Instead, all that was left behind were concerns.

"Thanks for helping me through the semester, Emmett. I mean it.  
Thank you for treating me so decently", Elle said quietly with a trembling voice.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"I'm going back to Malibu."  
Elle never saw a more devastating look in somebody's eyes, as she now did when she looked into his.  
She didn't want him to be sad.

At this very moment, she wished they never became friends. He must think it was his fault she failed so miserably.  
Elle never wanted Emmett to feel as shattered as he looked right now.  
"But you can visit me! Promise that you will visit me, okay?" She nearly begged him, hoping he would stop looking so awfully sad, "I mean, maybe you'll have a client on the west coast someday. Just give me a call and-"

Now he finally opened his mouth.  
"Elle, this is crazy! You can't just leave now!" He stared at her with fear in his gaze, "You just can't."  
Not quite the respond Elle had hoped for.  
"Look, I am sorry, alright? I'm letting down everyone, I don't belong here. I don't even know why I thought this would work out in the first place."  
Emmett's voice was trembling as he spoke again:  
"Why would you ever think that, Elle?"

"But I promise you, it's not your fault at all! You truly did your best!" Elle smiled sadly and looked to the ground, "You did your best with a hopeless case."  
He put his hands on Elle's shoulders, wishing he could hug her, but he wouldn't dare to step into her personal space like this, especially in the state she was currently.  
She knew that. She appreciated that.  
"Elle, that's ludicrous," he told her, panic in his eyes.  
Elle almost didn't hear his following words, they were barely more than a whisper.  
"You are the best thing about this place. You can't just leave me. I need to tell you-"

Elle knew she couldn't bear any more sentiment, causing her to overthink her decision.  
She may be impulsively, but once she caught onto a thought, there was no turning back. It was her rule.  
That's how she got into Harvard, and that's how she would get out.

She cut him off, not wanting to listen to any possible reasons to stay.  
"Callahan hit on me."

Emmett fell silent within a split second. His hands around her shoulders tightened and slid off eventually.

"He what?" was all he could bring out after a few moments.

"He kissed me, he fired me.  
He made it very clear I don't belong here."  
Elle raised her hand to wipe away the tears streaming out of her eyes again.

Then, Emmett shook his head vehemently.  
"He's wrong. We'll fix it. We'll fight it."  
Desperately he grasped for her hands, held onto them as long as he could before Elle took them away from him.

"Emmett, please," she whispered. "There's no reason for me to stay."

Leaving the man behind, she walked through her door, locking it behind her.  
With burning eyes, she sank down on the floor, damming herself for actually believing she could ever be more than a Malibu Barbie.

Emmett's voice sounded muffled through the door.  
He must still be outside, hoping for her to change her mind.  
"What about love?"

Elle stopped crying for a second, trying to listen to his words. She didn't know if they actually were for her or if it was just Emmett talking to himself.

"I never really told you, huh? And now the timing couldn't be worse.  
Would you still be leaving if I told you earlier?"

Elle was about to answer, but she chose not to. Saying farewell was hard enough anyway.

"If I told you earlier, would you still feel that way? Like you don't belong?"

Elle forbad herself to dream about a possible reality like this. It didn't matter, it was not the reality she lived in.

"Dear God, Elle, I am so in love with you," he brought out, his voice sounding shaky.

It broke Elle's heart.  
Until now, she didn't even allow herself to dream of a future with Emmett being more than her best friend. He wouldn't fall for a stupid girl like her anyways, that's what she thought.  
She would have messed it up; He was way too good for her. Too smart, too kind. Too perfect. She didn't deserve him at all.

Hearing him confess his love made things worse. It made her think of all the What-if's she had banned out of her mind. They rushed through her brain like a flood.

Emmett and her.  
The two of them sleeping in together curled into each other and waking up together several hours later, excited to start into the new day with their significant other.  
Laying in Emmett's small apartment on the bed watching a movie and stroking each other's hair.  
Holding his hand. Just walking around and holding his stupid hand.  
She didn't dare to imagine what his kisses would feel like.

But as beautiful all those What-if's sounded, now that the dam broke, the negative thoughts blasted down on her as well.  
What if she mistook the feelings she felt? What if she wasn't in love?  
Maybe she was just attached to the only person who actually believed in her. She was just not ready to risk their friendship for some ridiculous could-be's to risk hurting him in any possible way.

Ironically that was what she did right now.  
Her chest was aching at the thought of Emmett, actually mourning about losing Elle.  
But that pain was probably better than breaking his heart. He deserved a lifetime of happiness with some girl who was just as kind and smart as he is. And Elle just couldn't see herself as that girl, no matter how hard she wished.  
She just was not meant to be that girl.

She was meant to live in Malibu, become an actress. Lay on the beach, like she did all the years before leaving California.

Weakly, Emmett knocked. He probably knew she wouldn't open up. But he seemed to be determined to try everything.  
Elle did not understand why.  
"Please, will you open the door?" his voice asked louder now, but it still sounded damaged.

When she's back in Malibu, she swore to herself, she would never dream that big again. She'd rather be surprised than this devastated.

"Elle, you are worth so much more than that. You are worth the sun, and all the goddamn stars, and even more. Shit..." His voice trembled again, "I can't believe you don't want to see that."

They were sweet lies he was telling.  
She wasn't meant to be a fighter.  
Some girls are not meant to be fighters. Some girls are just meant to smile.

"If you can hear me, please just let me tell you how much I want you to stay.  
How much I need you to stay.  
Please, Elle.  
I need you to stay."

She wasn't the one to take that decision. Callahan made clear how she just not fit in.  
She was nothing more than a blonde girl from Malibu. She was not meant to be more.


	2. Sleeping Beauty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elle talks to Paulette about everything.  
> Paulette thinks she is good at giving advice, Elle doesn't agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually just posting this because I'm procrastinating to study Chinese, so cheers to that.

"Hold on, Honey," Paulette interrupted Elle, "So you are telling me that he confessed his love for you, it's been weeks since then, and you two didn't even talk about it yet?"  
Elle nodded and looked down at her fingers.  
It was not quite what she hoped to hear when she finally got to see Paulette again for her manicure.  
The last weeks have been busy for both of them. Since Paulette's Salon helped to solve a murder case, she couldn't save herself from new costumers. Any second she didn't spend at work, she was with Kyle.

Elle was pretty busy herself. This morning she took her last exam, so she spent a lot of time studying. Alone and with Emmett.  
After today, she just hoped that maybe Paulette could give her some advice.

"When you put it like this, it sounds ridiculous," she tried to defend herself and her best friend.  
"Elle, it is ridiculous! You can't leave him hanging like this, just because you are uncertain about your feelings."  
"See, that's the thing," Elle said now, "That's not how the story ends."

* * *

Emmett would do anything for her. She knew that.  
But Emmett would also do anything for his career. She knew that, too, and she understood it. Considering his past, the chip on his shoulder, it made sense that he'd work for an asshole like Callahan.  
How else would he earn enough money to buy his Mom that house on the Cape?

Even more stunned was she, when Emmett busted through the door of the courtroom.  
"Actually, she can represent Brooke, your honor," he said with immense confidence, pulling out a small book and showing it the judge.  
"Rule 3.03 of the Supreme Judicial Court states that a law student, Miss Elle Woods, may represent a defendant in criminal proceedings."

Callahan didn't seem very keen on whatever was happening right now.  
"Only if she has a licensed attorney to supervise," he added, "and without me, she does not."  
But Emmett didn't seem to really care about his boss.  
"Yes, she does. I'm licensed, your honor. Gladly supervise."

"Like hell, you will!" Callahan responded, his voice sounding upset now, "You work for me, remember?"  
"No, I work for myself. And I don't have to hit on interns, professor."

Elle didn't fully realize what just happened.  
Did Emmett really just quit his job? Of course, after what Elle told him about Callahan assaulting her. For a moment, she felt guilty for even assuming Emmett wouldn't quit.

The old man fled the courtroom with an annoyed sigh.  
"Enjoy prison, miss Wyndham," he pressed through his teeth as he left.  
"Okay, bye!" Brooke chirped.

When Emmett passed Elle while walking towards Brooke, she looked at him with admiration in her eyes. Maybe she did feel more than just platonic feelings.

"Thank you, Emmett," she said as he passed her a folder and smiled brightly.  
Instead of responding with a shy grin, or saying something goofy, he responded in a total not-Emmett way.  
He leaned towards her ear to say something that was just meant for her.  
"Did you actually think I was gonna let you get away?"

In that very moment, Elle realized two things:  
Emmett would literally do anything for her, even if it destroyed his career.  
And he could also be incredibly hot.

For a moment, they looked into each other's faces. Elle wondered if he felt as flustered as she did.  
But she didn't have time to overthink it further, as the judge harshly asked her to begin now.

* * *

"So you do have feelings for him?", Paulette asked.  
Elle nodded and felt how she blushed a little.  
"Honey, that's great, it really is. You just need to _tell_ him!"  
Elle let out a small sight.  
"It's not that easy. I never made the first step, like ever."  
Paulette looked at her unimpressed.  
"Never would have guessed," she then said, "But there is a first time for everything. You can't just spend your whole life to wait for men to make the first step."

Elle sighed again.  
"I know! And I am trying, I really am. I mean, all he has to do is to kiss me!"  
"You do realize how that sounds, right? I mean, how should he know that he actually can kiss you? He doesn't know about your feelings, after all.  
"That's the point!" Elle exclaimed, "He is either totally oblivious, or he just doesn't want to see the signs!"

* * *

The case was won, Brooke was a free woman again.  
If that was not the perfect reason for a spontaneous party at Paulette's Salon, then nothing was.  
Elle, however, was not supposed to know anything about it.

When she left the building and managed to pass the annoying reporters, she already saw Emmett leaning against her car. The urge overcame her to run into his arms again. To pull him tight, just as they did before Warner appeared behind them.  
Emmett's smile was shining as bright as a thousand suns when he saw her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Elle Woods, the first law student to win a murder case in her first semester!" he grinned as she came closer.  
"Emmett Forrest, the first person to ever believe in me," Elle gave back and smiled gladly at him, "Again, thank you. Without you, we would have been dead in the water."  
"Elle, there is absolutely not a single reason to thank me for it. Did you really think I'd keep working for that ass?"  
"Of course not," Elle lied.  
"See," Emmett responded with another wide grin, "And now we have to go. I'll drive, so pass the keys!"

Raising her eyebrows skeptically, she pulled her car keys out of her pink purse and handed them to Emmett.  
"Where are we going?" She asked.  
"You trust me, don't you?" He asked back.  
"Of course."  
"Then don't stop now," he smirked.

'Alright,' Elle thought and got into the passenger side.

"So," Emmett began again after a few minutes of silent driving, "What did Warner want?"  
Elle let out an annoyed moan.  
"He proposed! Can you believe that? I mean, the audacity!"  
The man on the driver's side let out a laugh.  
"According to your reaction, I assume you said no?"  
"Of course, I said no!" Elle responded, "I'm not the same person I was six months ago."

Emmett glanced at her, carefully, from the side, he probably thought she wouldn't notice it. Then he smiled again.  
"No, you're not."

She already expected a surprise when they entered the Salon. It still made her happy, of course. Entering the saloon and being welcomed by applause and cheer, that was something special, indeed.  
The first people to approach them were her parents, who congratulated her again on winning the case.  
"And thanks to you as well," her father turned towards Emmett, who stood awkwardly next to her, "Emmett, wasn't it?"  
"Of course, it was the least I could do for both Elle and Brooke," he said humbly.  
"Emmett is just the best!" Elle claimed and took his arm with her hands.  
"Even though he made you stay home during both Thanksgiving and Christmas break," Elle's mother said, but then she smiled kindly at him, "But it's been worth it, I figure."

Her parents left the party after about one hour. Elle was still rather busy.  
The line with people to congratulate her didn't seem to end. She still had her hands clinging onto Emmett's arm, but he didn't seem to mind.  
He just seemed a bit awkward with all the people who mostly thanked or congratulated him too. He even received kudos for standing up against Callahan, a thing that generations of law students before them only dreamed of.

Eventually, it was Paulette who brought up the first bottles of cheap champagne to celebrate.  
Emmett decided to stay sober, so he could drive Elle home after the party. Even if Elle tried to convince him that he didn't have to.  
"This is your party, Elle, don't worry," he had just said.

Two hours later, he probably regretted that decision.  
When it actually was time to leave, Elle has had a few glasses of champagne. Champagne, and some drinks that nobody really knew where they were coming from, they were just there suddenly.  
"I'm impressed you still can walk in your shoes," Emmett commented, as Elle clung onto his arm again, just as she had done for the majority of the night.  
"Me too," Elle giggled, "I'm impressed you managed to do your hair all by yourself."

Yesterday, when Emmett first wore his hair like this, Elle insisted on picking him up from his apartment to help him with the hair gel. Emmett was thankful for that since he didn't use hair gel once in his entire life, and he didn't even try to hide it.  
Now today, she didn't pick him up, obviously. Actually, she didn't talk to him at all since last night. He tried to call her multiple times, he sent her about 50 texts (the most not-Emmett thing there was). But she didn't respond to anything.  
Now, everything looked entirely different.  
She didn't feel misplaced anymore. And when she looked at Emmett, who was now helping her to get into the car, she knew that she belonged right here.

"Me too," he laughed, "I didn't expect to apply gel into hair would be such a rocket science."  
"It paid off, though," Elle giggled again, "You look so hot, Emmett Forrest."

Elle could see a red hue on his cheeks, even though it was nearly completely dark inside the car. Maybe it was just the light from the traffic light they were holding at.

"But I like your curls too. They are softer to touch," Elle continued and tried to reach out for his hair.  
"Hey, stop that!" Emmett exclaimed, surprised, "Don't distract the driver!"

After that, Elle did keep her hands to herself, but she kept giggling throughout the whole drive.  
But Emmett only smiled when he gazed at her once in a while.

About 5 minutes before they reached the parking lot for Elle's dormitory, Elle dozed off.  
"Hey, sleeping beauty, may your majesty wake up?" Emmett whispered and nudged her gently.  
Elle responded, of course, giggling and opened her eyes a bit.  
"You called me sleeping beauty!" she pointed out and grinned widely.  
"Well, you were sleeping, and you are pretty," Emmet just gave back, already exiting the car to open the door for Elle.

The blonde clung onto him even harder than she did when they left the party. She didn't really know herself if it was for balance or if she was just seeking closeness.  
"You called me pretty!" she now exclaimed happily.  
"I also called you asleep," Emmett gave back.

She didn't respond to that, but she did reach out for his hair again.  
"It's so crunchy!" she said with enormous interest.  
"Hell, Elle, you are so drunk," Emmett laughed as she kept patting his hair.  
He did not pull back.

The next day, right after waking up, she sent Emmett a text:

**Next time, we both get equally drunk and get someone else to drive us home. xo ******

********

She didn't need to wait long for the response.

********

**Can't wait.**

********

* * *

********

"I'm sorry, Honey, but I'm with Emmett on this one," Paulette said after a few seconds of silence.  
"Excuse me?" Elle gave back perplexed, "I was like totally flirting with him!"  
"You just behaved the way drunk people do, Sweety."  
"I told him he looked hot!"  
"Yeah, but you were _drunk_ , it doesn't count."

********

Elle sighed.  
"But I did call him hot before! When we went shopping for the suit, I told you about that, didn't I? He had this look in his eyes, but we just hugged at the end."

********

"You two kids are driving me crazy," Paulette shook her head, "Why can't you just talk about it?"  
"But what if I'm just overinterpreting this whole thing?" Elle whined, "I mean, maybe I am just imagining all these moments!"  
"He called you Sleeping Beauty!" Paulette pointed out and sighed, "You either have to talk to him about it, or you have to show him very clearly. Men are oblivious."

********

"As I said, I start to think he doesn't even want to see the signs..."  
And Elle started telling another story.

********

* * *

********

The exams at the end of the year promised two things:  
Firstly, after the next weeks, Elle and her classmates could have a well-deserved break from going to class and studying. Not that Elle had any problems with studying if there was just Emmett by her side.

********

Secondly, during the next weeks, Elle and her classmates will need to review everything they had learned throughout the last months. Again, not that Elle had any problems with studying if there was just Emmett by her side.  
But she did have her problems with remembering what the hell she learned in October.

********

For this study session, Emmett sat patiently on the bed, between pink pillows and ruffled blankets. A ridiculously adorable sight, as Elle thought when she looked at him while he was quizzing her on family law.  
Elle sat on the desk chair, turned towards Emmett, and tried desperately to remember. It's been like that for three hours now.  
"October feels like forever ago," she mumbled, got up, and let herself fall down next to Emmett.  
"It really does," he said, looking up from the flashcards, "It still feels like yesterday when you stole my sweatshirt."

********

"Excuse me, I'm a law student, I don't steal," Elle gave back and leaned onto her elbow to look at him, "I just borrowed it. It's my guarantee for you to come back to help me study."  
Emmett laughed and looked at her.  
"So you are blackmailing me with a sweatshirt I bought four years ago?"  
"I mean, it worked until now, didn't it?" she grinned at him.  
He rolled his eyes at her but grinned as well.

********

"I think I know why I can't memorize all this stuff," Elle said after a few seconds of silent grinning and let herself fall back onto the bed, "We didn't study together until the very end of October. I mean, I didn't study at all."  
"Dear God, what did you do all day?" Emmett asked as if he didn't know the answer already.  
"Thirsting after Warner," Elle gave back plainly, "Christ, I really was a different person. Back in October, I just wanted to impress Warner, but now I actually want to become a lawyer."  
When Elle lifted her head again, she saw Emmett smiling proudly.  
"Let's get back to work then," he proposed.  
"One second," Elle gave back and shifted slightly, so she could rest her head against Emmett's thigh. When Bruiser jumped onto the bed as well and curled up next to her head, she nodded, "Okay, go on."

********

She would have sworn that Emmett stiffened for a second, but if he did, he relaxed again rather quickly.  
Instead, he leaned back himself, right into the pink pillows, and continued to quiz her.  
Occasionally, their hands brushed when they reached out to pet Bruiser at the same time, but neither of them addressed it. Neither of them pulled back, either.

********

* * *

********

"Sweety, that is an adorable story, but not enough," Paulette only commented.  
"Oh come on," Elle muttered, "What am I supposed to do then? I'm trying to be clear, so he gets the signs, but also subtle, so I can label it platonic in case he doesn't feel the same."  
"Dear God, Elle, did you even see how the boy looks at you? Like you are the only thing in the room that is worth to look at?"

********

Elle blushed.  
"I mean, maybe, but-"  
"Stop looking for excuses, Sweetheart! You are in love with him, he is in love with you. It's that easy. I'm done, by the way."  
By that last sentence, she pointed at Elle's fingernails.  
"Thanks," Elle gave back and took a deep breath, "For manicure and advice."

********

Just when Paulette was about to respond, the door opened, and Brooke entered the Salon.  
"Hey, you two!" she greeted them in her usual overexcited voice, "I hoped I'd find you here. Just checking in to say goodbye. My flight leaves tonight."  
Elle nearly forgot about that, between exams and Emmett. Brooke was going back to California, at least for now. She wanted to leave Boston behind, after everything that had happened here, and maybe record another DVD.  
Leaving Boston to go back to California now seemed like a weird thought to Elle. But maybe that was just her.

********

"Oh, have a good flight, Brooke!" Elle said and hugged her, "Serena told me she and the girls really look forward to working out with you!"  
That was a deal that was sealed at the party after the trial.  
"Oh, so am I! It feels like forever since I worked out with a fellow delta nu, and now I get work out with like 10? That's gonna be like so fun!"  
"We definitely have different views of fun," Paulette mumbled but hugged her as well, "But Brooke, before you go, could you please tell Elle, how obvious it is, that Emmett is head over heels for her?"

********

Brooke looked a bit confused.  
"I mean, he better be head over heels, right? Since they are dating?"  
In Paulette's face, a wide grin established.  
"We're not dating," Elle clarified with red-hued cheeks, "Neither of us made the first step so far."  
Brooke furrowed her eyebrows.  
"But didn't he take your hand in the courtroom when we went to visit the bathroom in our villa?"  
"Yeah, but that was just a thing he did," Elle tried to explain.  
"Didn't you two were basically one person at the party? I mean, did you let go of him even once?"  
"I mean, it was also his trial."  
"Didn't you kiss right after the trial, in the courtroom?"  
"We didn't, we just got really close."

********

"So you are telling me, they are not dating?" Brooke turned to Paulette, who shook her head.  
Brooke let out a laugh.  
"Well, did you look at Emmett's face when you did the Bend and Snap to prove that Nikos was gay? This guy is totally in love with you."

********

Elle rolled her eyes.  
"Okay, thanks guys, I got it."

********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing drunk Elle gives me so much life. (Also because she is totally me. My friends don't let me ride shotgun when I'm drunk.)


	3. Microwave Popcorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Popcorn, a movie and some subtle flirting. Sounds like a date to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I... did I actually finish a fanfic?

When Elle arrived back at her dorm, she didn't really have much time to overthink everything that Paulette and Brooke said.  
She didn't tell them about their plans to have a movie night. Emmett proposed the idea a while ago to motivate Elle to keep going during the last few days.  
Elle agreed under two conditions: Bruiser would watch with them, and there would be popcorn.  
So she took Bruiser and a few DVDs and left her dorm again to walk over to Emmett's apartment.

When she knocked, she could hear muffled swearing through the closed door.  
"Come in," Emmett said then.  
He was in the small kitchen that was near the entrance, and apparently, he just burned his hand on the popcorn.  
"Are you okay?" Elle greeted him, amused.  
"Yeah, I just," he glanced at his hand, shaking it, "I didn't think the bag would be this hot."  
Such a dork.  
"Didn't you do this before?" Elle asked as she unleashed Bruiser, who promptly ran into the main room to settle down on Emmett's bed.

Emmett's apartment was not really big.  
A narrow hallway, a small kitchen, a tiny bathroom. The main room was a bit bigger, at least compared to the rest. A desk, a bed, a wardrobe, more wasn't in there.  
There was barely any decoration. In the hallway on the wall, there was a single framed picture. It showed Emmett and his mother, Emmett looked much younger. Elle wondered if he framed it himself or if his mother gave it to him as a present.  
When she joined him in the kitchen, she noticed that he did put a single picture on the refrigerator. She recognized it because she had taken it.  
It was just a silly selfie she took to send to the delta nu girls. She sat on her bed, but she had turned the camera to her desk, where Emmett had nodded off during one of their study sessions.  
**First sleep since 1992** she had written under it.  
Elle had printed that picture and given it to Emmett as a thank-you card around January.  
**Thx for being the best study buddy <3** she wrote on the backside, with a pink gel pen. When she saw that Emmett put the picture on his fridge, her heart made a little twirl.

"Please tell me, Elle, what makes you think that I ever had time for a movie night, in like ever," Emmett gave back unimpressed and looked up from his hands. He then noticed that she was looking at the picture on his fridge and blushed slightly.  
Elle chose not to comment on it.  
"Step aside, amateur, can you give me a bowl?" she said instead and approached the opened microwave.  
"Watch your delicate hands," Emmett answered as he took a step to the right and opened a cupboard to hand her what she asked for.  
"I know what I'm doing, butthead," Elle carefully took the bag out of the microwave, "Delta nu had movie nights like every other week."  
Effortless, she filled the popcorn into the bowl.

Emmett nodded, watching her.  
"So you're not gonna explain, how you do it?"  
"Of course not, how can I be sure you won't use it to have a movie night with someone other than me?" Elle gave back jokingly.

Then she turned around to bring the bowl to the main room and nearly bumped into Emmett, who stood right behind her.  
"Don't worry, there is nobody I'd rather eat microwave popcorn with," Emmett said with a look into the bowl and a slight smile on his lips.  
When he looked up, his eyes caught Elle's. She felt like she did blush a little, and all in all, they looked at each other a bit longer than 'just friends' are supposed to.  
Elle did like his words, though. They made her feel kind of special.

Eventually, it was him, who awkwardly looked away again.  
"Let's start?" he proposed instead and took the bowl out of Elle's hands.  
She nodded and followed him into the main room again, where Bruiser was still throning on top of the bed, sleeping peacefully on the light brown comforter.

The bed wasn't tiny, but it wasn't remarkably large as well.  
It definitely wasn't too little to fit in there as two persons, but it was going to be cozy with Bruiser in there as well.  
Emmett put the bowl down on the nightstand and was now browsing through the DVDs Elle brought with her.

"Hey, I didn't ask how your last exam went!" he then suddenly remembered, "How did it go?"  
"Quite good, actually!" Elle gave back, "I'm just glad that I can finally relax for a bit now. I feel like I didn't have any free time since Brooke's trial. I don't even know what to do with my time now."  
"Movie nights with your tutor sound like a reasonable plan."  
"Movie nights with my _friend_ sound even better."

"You know, I actually didn't see a single one of them," Emmett then announced, holding up the DVDs in his hand and sat down on the bed, starting his laptop, "You choose."  
"Do you want me to act surprised now, Emmett Never Had Microwave Popcorn In His Whole Life Forrest?" Elle commented, chuckling and settled down next to him.  
"Just start the movie, Little Miss Woods Comma Elle," he gave back now, chuckling as well.

While setting up everything, Elle was leaning towards the laptop, slightly bent over Emmett. While he looked on the screen as well, she could feel his breath near her neck whenever he said something.  
(Like when he wanted to tell her the password again. As if she didn't memorize that his mother's birthday was the 17th of March.)

When the movie started, she wanted to lean back onto the wall, but it turned out that it was much more convenient to lean onto Emmett instead.  
It just made more sense, so the laptop could stay where it was right now, and both of them could see the screen comfortably.  
She felt Emmett shift a bit surprised when she leaned her head onto his shoulder instead.  
"You okay like this?" she asked cautiously, "I can also-"  
"No, it's alright," he gave back and hesitantly put his arm around her, "Just took me by surprise."

Elle's face touched the soft fabric of the worn t-shirt he was wearing. Her forehead was lightly leaning against his cheeks.  
Occasionally, their hands brushed when they both went in for popcorn.  
They should do more movie nights like these, Elle decided.

Around halfway through the movie, Elle started feeling sleepy.  
Today was the first day for weeks that she didn't stay up half of the night to study, and laying there, all snuggled up to Emmett, was pretty cozy after all.  
"Hey, Elle," she heard him say, "Do you want to go back to your dorm to sleep?"  
"Nah, I'm good," she gave back with her eyelids already closed.  
Emmett let out a quiet laugh. Then Elle felt how he gently brushed her hair out of her face.  
When she opened her eyes, they stared right into his. His hand was still resting on her cheek, his thumb gently drawing patterns.  
Now that they were both turned to each other, their faces were incredibly close. It wouldn't have been hard to lean in and kiss.  
They both held their breaths, didn't dare to move.

Right until Elle had to yawn and Emmett awkwardly pulled his hand away again.  
Dammit.  
"Yeah, Elle, you seem tired. It's been a tough couple of days, maybe you should think about going back to catch some sleep," he then said and paused the movie.  
But she shook her head vehemently and snuggled back into Emmett. Yes, she was tired as hell, and sleep seemed pretty tempting, but there was no way she would leave now. Emmett was warm and soft and right here, and her dorm was far away from and cold without him.

"We didn't even finish one movie!" She protested instead and hit the play button again.  
"We both know you're gonna fall asleep," Emmett's voice right beneath hear ear drove her crazy.  
"I won't."

She did.  
But to be fair, so did he.

She woke up, looking around slightly disorientated.  
Bruiser was still asleep next to them, and Emmett was nodding as well.  
"Emmett," mumbled and carefully nudged him.  
He just grumbled and tried to pull her closer again, his arm still swung around her. It made Elle smile bigger than it probably should have.  
"Emmett," she tried again and nudged him a bit tighter.  
"What?" he responded sleepily.  
"We both fell asleep."  
He chuckled, his eyes still closed. He then opened them slowly.  
"What time is it?" He looked around in the room. It was already pitch dark outside by now.  
"No idea," Elle gave back and stretched, "Hey, do you mind if I stay over? I don't really feel like walking all the way to my dorm now."

It wouldn't be the first time Elle stayed the night. They had spent so many nights studying until it was pitch dark outside. Especially in winter, staying over had been better than walking back through the mud and snow.  
It has never been a problem for either of them. The bed was big enough to give both enough space to sleep comfortably. By now, Elle had a spare toothbrush and a little package of make-up wipes placed in his bathroom.  
"Sure," Emmett gave back and grabbed the now-empty bowl to bring it in the kitchen.

Elle removed her make-up quickly and brushed her teeth, before stepping back into the main room.  
"You can wear this," Emmett said and gave her some t-shirt from his closet, "I love that you take my fashion advice whenever you stay over."  
He grinned toothily and went into the bathroom himself then.  
Elle rolled her eyes, grinning herself, and changed quickly, before getting under the covers just as Emmett entered the room again.

"If you keep sleeping over so much, I might consider buying a bigger bed," Emmett said as he climbed under the covers as well.  
Elle laughed.  
"Come on, I don't take much space!"  
"Dear God, no, but it would sure be a bit more comfortable."  
They looked at each other for a moment.  
"I think it's all good the way it is," Elle gave back quietly and looked into Emmett's eyes. He had this look again, just like when they almost kissed a few hours ago.  
Bruiser moved loudly at the lower end of the bed, causing both of them to break the eye contact again.

"Good night, Elle."  
"Night, Emmett. Thank you for letting me stay. Again."  
She heard him chuckle in the dark.  
"Anytime."

When they woke up, they were significantly closer than they were before. Well, that was the understatement of the decade.  
They slept in, laying about one foot apart. They woke up, Elle's face buried in the crook of Emmett's neck. Her arm was draped around his middle, holding onto him.  
Emmett had his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

It felt nice, Elle thought. She shut her eyes again, hoping the morning would never end. But she already noticed how Emmett had started waking up. So she did what every sane person in her place would do:  
She pretended to be asleep, waiting for Emmett's reaction.

He did seem a bit surprised himself, yet still drowsy.  
Then, he turned his head slightly to press a light kiss onto Elle's forehead.  
"Emmett?" she asked quietly, giving away that she was awake.  
"Hm?" Emmett hummed against her foreheard. Elle felt the vibration of his chest against her hand.  
"You could also kiss me properly."

Now she had said it, there it was.  
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Emmett drew little circles on her back with his fingers. He suddenly stopped mid-motion, seeming to realize what Elle just had said.  
"Wait," he babbled and sat up a bit, "I can?"  
She looked up to him and then nodded slowly.  
"Yeah, I'd like that."  
Emmett stared at her as if he couldn't quite believe what she just said.  
"I mean if you don't-"

Her words were interrupted by a ringing, that was definitely not Elle's cellphone. Emmett looked way too overwhelmed. Bed-headed, hopeful, and confused.  
"Stupid thing rings once in a blue moon, but of course out it rings right now," he then muttered, rubbing his face.  
Elle let out a laugh.  
"Go take the call, it's not like I'd run away."  
Emmett looked at her one last time, longing even until Elle made another hand motion to show him to go get the goddamn phone now.

When he grabbed it and walked into the kitchen to answer, Elle let herself fall back on the bed.  
He did seem surprised by her words. But it did seem like a good thing, didn't it?  
By now, Bruiser seemed to have woken up as well. He came up to the head end of the bed to demand his morning cuddles.  
He did not seem satisfied with today's result, as Emmett entered the main room a few seconds later again.

"So, who is calling you at 9:30 am on a Saturday?" Elle asked, genuinely curious.  
"Callahan's wife," the man just gave back and sat down on the bed again, his face lit up with a huge grin, "Or better said, his soon to be ex-wife."  
"Okay, now what's that about?"  
"Well, she heard that I quit after what he did, obviously. She wants me to be her lawyer."  
His face lit up even more when Elle fell around his neck, cheering.  
"Emmett, that's huge! I'm so happy-"  
She got interrupted by his hands, cupping her face and kissing her gently.

Her hands found their way into his messy hair, down to the back of his neck, where they settled until they broke apart again.  
They looked at each other, grinning like stupid.

"I _did_ like that!" Elle was the first to talk again, "Why didn't we try this earlier?"  
"I swear I wanted to tell you!" Emmett gave back and let out a laugh, "It was just... bad timing."  
"I heard you," she confessed, "That night, I wanted to leave. I heard you saying all those things. I'm glad I didn't leave."  
Emmett smiled at her.  
"Well, I'm glad too. I told you, I wouldn't let you get away."  
"Yeah, thanks for that, by the way, you were way too hot saying that," Elle finally got to say, "Focusing on the case after that was not easy at all."

Emmett always blushed so easily.  
"You're so sweet when you're flustered," she continued.  
"Oh, so you can say things like that, but I can't?" he called out boldly, "After you called me hot when we bought the suit? I couldn't think straight for two hours!"  
"Better get used to it!" Elle laughed, "Emmett Forrest, you are so incredibly hot! I mean, have you like ever looked into a mirror? Even right now, with your hair, all stuck up, and with this old t-shirt? So attractive."  
"Oh dear God, Elle," his face turned red, again, "Stop, please!"

"What are you gonna do about it?" she teased, grinning widely.  
"If I kiss you again, will you stop?"  
"I mean, I can't promise anything. You can try."

And he did.  
(It didn't work.)


End file.
